Chapter XVII: SCHOLARSHIP OF ASSESSMENT GRANTS

Chapter XVII: SCHOLARSHIP OF ASSESSMENT GRANTS During the 2002-2003 fiscal year, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Analysis and Reporting Group of the Assessment Committee established the first year of Truman State University s Scholarship of Assessment Grants. The Grants were developed 1) to increase faculty and staff involvement with assessment on campus, 2) to heighten awareness of assessment and assessment projects on campus, 3) to increase the amount of data analysis on campus, and 4) to improve the academic program, student learning, and the campus environment through the use of assessment data. These locally-developed grants are intended for faculty and staff at Truman. Because the Grants had never been offered before, the Analysis and Reporting Group was charged with four tasks: 1) Define the Grant purpose 2) Establish the Grant proposal guidelines 3) Establish a timeline for submission and evaluation of Grant proposals 4) Establish criteria for evaluating proposals The Group began their work in late Fall 2002. The Group s first task was to clearly define the purpose of the Grants. They established that the purpose was: 1) to improve the quality of student learning and development at Truman, and 2) to enhance the culture of assessment through faculty and staff participation in assessment research and scholarship. The Analysis and Reporting Group worked through the beginning of Spring 2003 to complete the Grant guidelines, timeline, and evaluation criteria. The call for proposals went out to the campus community on February 18, 2003 through the campus weekly newsletter, the Truman Today. Subsequent campus-wide e-mail announcements went out to remind faculty and staff of the approaching March 17 deadline. The guidelines are included in this chapter. The Group wanted to guarantee that the Grant recipients presented a plan for dissemination of their results. This was important so that the campus community would become more widely informed about assessment projects on campus and would be able to use the results to inform the teaching/learning process. Several of the proposals were discipline-specific and thus included plans for sharing the information with that discipline and division. Other proposals were of a more campus-wide significance and therefore wrote a dissemination plan that included presentations at Truman s January Conference, a daylong university-wide conference. Review of proposals began in March 2003 and was completed the following month. The Review Committee was composed of faculty and staff and followed the guidelines developed by the Analysis and Reporting Group. To ensure fairness, the Review Committee conducted a double-blind evaluation of the proposals. Each proposal was rated for its clarity of purpose, appropriateness to the grant purpose, project description, timeline feasibility, application of results, intended communication of results, and benefits to student learning. Seven proposals were received and, after one resubmission, all seven were granted. XVII-1

The seven grants included fourteen faculty and staff from six disciplines. Three of the grants had representation from more than one division. Table 1 lists the titles, recipients, and divisions involved: Table 1 2003 Scholarship of Assessment Grants Title Faculty Staff Divisions Math Anxiety and Other Concerns and Needs of Entering Students 1 0 Math & Computer Science Defining and Assessing Team Skills of 4 0 Business & Accountancy / Business and Accountancy Students The Impact of 2003 Motivation Initiatives on Student Junior Test Performance Mathematics Placement and its Relationship to Retention Predicting an Individual Retention Rate Using a Statistical Analysis Supporting the Pillars: An Evaluation of the Applicability of Current Assessment Data to Areas of Learning in the Biology Discipline Student Success Factors: Self-Reported Indicators of Success for Minority Students on the VPAA/President s Lists 2 0 Language & Literature Social Science / Business & Accountancy 1 0 Math & Computer Science 1 0 Math & Computer Science 3 0 Science 1 1 Social Science / Multicultural Affairs The work was to take place over the summer, with final analyses performed in the fall. Recipients could request up to $1000 for a single-investigator project, $1500 for two investigators, and $2000 for three or more investigators. Preliminary reports were due on October 1, 2003 and the final reports will be due on March 1, 2004. Final reports will be made available to the campus community. XVII-2

Scholarship of Assessment Grants General Guidelines Truman State University Summer 2003 I. Purpose In response to calls from the campus community for improved analysis and use of assessment data to guide and inform decisions, the university has provided funding for assessment grants. These grants are directed toward two basic goals: 1) to improve the quality of student learning and development at Truman, and 2) to enhance the culture of assessment through faculty and staff participation in assessment research and scholarship. All competitive grant proposals will focus on the use of assessment data to answer questions of importance to the university community. We invite grant proposals that examine university-wide issues as well as discipline-directed questions. Faculty and staff may submit proposals in any number of areas, including (but not limited to) improving curriculum structure, developing and refining student learning outcomes in the disciplines, improving retention and graduation rates, enhancing student success, enhancing student assessment motivation, and improving current assessment tools. II. Eligibility and Restrictions Eligibility is limited to full-time faculty and full-time staff. Awards will be made only for projects originating from and directed by the faculty or staff applicant(s). Faculty must have an appointment at Truman State University for the entire period of the grant. Salary may not be requested for work proposed during sabbatical or University leave. Full-time staff may not request salary in the grant budget. Funds are not to be used toward the completion of an advanced degree. No investigator will receive funding for more than two years out of any three-year period. A faculty member may request support for only one project during a given year. Reviewers are not eligible to receive an award from the Review Committee. Because limited funds are available, the Review Committee cannot consider projects for: (1) the improvement of the applicant's teaching or individual course development; (2) the writing of textbooks; (3) the editing of anthologies, except those in which the editing involved original research on the part of the investigator; (4) the subvention of publication costs for a book; or (5) professional memberships. III. Support The total grant request, including salary, travel, and software, may not exceed $1,000.00 for a project conducted by a single investigator, $1500.00 for a project involving two investigators, and $2000.00 for a project involving three or more investigators. IV. Review Criteria and General Conditions for Awards The Review Committee seeks to identify and recommend the most meritorious applications for support. In evaluating each proposal, the most important consideration will be the quality of each project. Review of proposals will be based on the following considerations and proposals meeting these criteria will be given preference: How well the proposal meets the goals of the grant The appropriateness of methodology/research The feasibility of the project The expected application of results Strategy for communicating and/or disseminating results Clarity and conciseness of the proposal V. Evaluation of Proposals An anonymous review process will be employed to evaluate all proposals. The Review Committee will make recommendations for awards to the Vice President for Academic Affairs who holds the final authority for awarding funds. Award notices will be sent to recipients from the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a communication describing the reasons for denial of the grant upon request. XVII-3

Division Office Submission Deadline: March 17, 2003, 5:00pm Scholarship of Assessment Grants Proposal Format Guidelines Truman State University Summer 2003 VPAA Office Submission Deadline: March 24, 2003, 5:00pm Maximum Award: $1,000.00, $1500.00 (two investigators), $2000.00 (three or more investigators) Present your project under the following headings and in the following order. Page maximums for each section are indicated below. Text should be typed, at least 10-pt. font, and double-spaced. Use one-inch margins on all pages. 1. Application Form. Complete and sign the front page and be sure to complete the Summary of Current and Previous Grant Support on the back of the Application Form. This information will not be used by the Review Committee in the evaluation of the proposals. Applicants names should only appear on the Application Form. NO OTHER IDENTIFYING MARKS SHOULD APPEAR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE PROPOSAL. 2. Project Title and Abstract. (one page maximum) Briefly give an overview of the purpose and importance of the project, the objectives, methods, and impact of the project, and how the results will be made available to a wider audience. 3. Project Description. (six page maximum) a. Purpose. Briefly describe the nature and purpose of the proposed project in clear terms. b. Context and Significance. Explain the background and context of the project. Explain the significance and feasibility of your project and how it will make a difference. c. Objectives. Provide an explanation of what will be accomplished during this project. Objectives should be measurable when possible. Outcome measurements, if used, should be made as explicit as possible. d. Methods or Activities. Describe the specific methods, techniques, or procedures you will use to accomplish the project s objectives. Give approximate times for completing each phase of the project. Specifically indicate what you plan to accomplish during the summer period, and explain the role students will play if they are involved. e. Communication. Briefly explain how you will communicate the results of your work to a broader internal audience and, if applicable, an external audience. Also provide a plan for dissemination and/or application of results. 4. Timeline: (one page maximum) Include a timeline that sequentially shows the progression of activities that will take place during the entire grant period. The timeline may be presented graphically or in outline form. 5. Budget Justification: (one page maximum) Show a breakdown of the funds requested. Explain requests for funds from any category of the project that might not be explicitly clear to the Review Committee. If funds for travel are requested, explain why the trip is necessary for the successful completion of the project and when the trip is expected to take place. XVII-4

Scholarship of Assessment Grant Application Form Truman State University Summer 2003 Division Office Submission Deadline: March 17, 2003 VPAA Office Submission Deadline: March 24, 2003 Please complete this application form, sign your name(s) at the bottom and attach it to the front of your proposal. Do not place your name or any other identifying information on the proposal or related documents. Applicant(s): Office/Division(s): Discipline (if applicable): Applicant Title(s): Proposal Title: Budget Summary The total grant request, including salary, travel, and software, may not exceed $1,000.00 for a project conducted by a single investigator, $1500.00 for a project involving two investigators, and $2000.00 for a project involving three or more investigators. Faculty will only be allowed to earn up to $3,000 total from all Truman internal grants in an academic year. University regulations do not allow pyramiding of salaries. Faculty should consider all requests for summer salary in light of this policy. (E.g. the $1,000 Undergraduate Research Stipend Faculty Addendum plus salary from an Internal Truman Research Grant cannot exceed $3,000.) For questions, contact Debbie Schertzer in the Vice President for Academic Affairs Office at x4106 or debsch@truman.edu, who will forward your question to the Review Committee. Type of Support Funding Requested Summer Salary Student Assistantships Support (travel, equipment, etc.) TOTAL Summer Appointment: List the specific summer time period(s) you will dedicate to this project. From: to ; From: to Signatures: / (Applicant 1 Signature / Date) / (Applicant 2 Signature / Date) / (Signature and Date of Supervisor if applicant is a staff member) Back-03 Application Form XVII-5

Summary of Current and Previous Grant Support Applicants must complete this page in order to have a grant application considered. 1. If other internal or external support has been awarded for this project, explain the need for the Scholarship of Assessment Grant that is being requested. 2. Any additional information to complete or support the information provided on this form. Back-03 Application Form XVII-6

2003 SCHOLARSHIP OF ASSESSMENT GRANT AGREEMENT FORM Name of Grant Recipient(s): Academic Division(s)/Department(s): Total Approved Grant Amount: $ Total to be paid to Grant Recipient during FY 2003: $ Total to be paid to Grant Recipient during FY 2004: $ Total to be paid to student workers or undergraduate assistants: $ Permanent Equipment: $ Expendable Supplies & Equipment: $ Travel: $ Other Costs: $ I have been selected as a Scholarship of Assessment Grant recipient and will be awarded the above amount to complete my project. I must follow the requirements outlined below to receive full compensation for my project. I understand that: A. Changes in the budget categories or summer employment schedule must be approved in writing by the Division Head/Supervisor and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The reason(s) for these changes should be explained. Changes in salary categories will not normally be considered. Requests for budget or employment changes must be submitted to the VPAA by May 17, 2003. B. Grant funds must be expended by the end of the grant period and cannot be rolled over. Special circumstances requiring exceptions to this policy need VPAA approval. C. The preliminary grant report (10-20 pages in length) is due to my Division Head/Supervisor by October 1, 2003. D. The final grant report, including abstract and executive summary, is due to my Division Head/ Supervisor by March 1, 2004. E. I will be expected to present and/or publish the results campus-wide. F. The title to any patents trademarks, significant royalties or other forms of intellectual property resulting from this grant may be shared or retained by the University. Signature of Grant Recipient Date Signature of Division Head or Supervisor Date Signature of VPAA Date cc: Payroll, Division Head XVII-7